


the right fit

by artenon



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen, Genderqueer Character, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-21
Updated: 2015-04-21
Packaged: 2018-03-25 04:29:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3796711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artenon/pseuds/artenon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Best friends shopping for cute clothes on a hot summer day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the right fit

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Gerri, who is so sweet about my writing, I cry. ;_;
> 
> So Gerri tweeted a few days ago about Kuroo braiding Kenma's hair and also helping them w/ their presentation (bc Kenma's lazy...) and I died because Kuroo and Kenma's friendship is so sweet please I honestly love them so much... Also Gerri's bigender Kenma makes me feel a feel.
> 
> Gerri's tweets inspired me but I've been feeling rly unhappy w/ my writing lately and unable to finish anything so I was rly determined to finish this as a thank you to Gerri for being so sweet!! I hope you like it!! :'))
> 
> Shiloh helped me title it because I am awful at titling.
> 
> ALSO, [tumblr link](http://artenon.tumblr.com/post/117036801945)
> 
> **note: Kuroo is a trans boy in this fic and, in accordance w/ Gerri's hc, Kenma is bigender (neutrois/girl). I use "she" and "they" pronouns interchangeably for Kenma throughout the fic.**

Kenma restarts their boss battle for the fifth time, making a soft, frustrated noise that can’t help but draw a chuckle out of Kuroo. Kuroo isn’t very good at video games, but he likes watching Kenma play. It’s more engaging than his textbook, which is lying untouched on the coffee table next to where Kuroo’s feet are currently propped.

It’s a hot summer afternoon and Kuroo can feel the sweat forming on the back of his neck. The sunlight is angled through the window just so as to land right on Kenma—it makes her golden-bleached hair gleam (the half of her hair that’s still yellow, anyway)—but they appear unaffected and wholly focused on their game. Meanwhile, their head on Kuroo’s lap is just making him even warmer, but he doesn’t have it in him to move her.

Instead, Kuroo tangles his fingers in the long strands of Kenma’s hair and starts combing gently through them. Kenma’s body seems to relax; they let out a long breath and their shoulder, pressed up against Kuroo’s leg, drops.

Kuroo starts braiding Kenma’s hair, his movements deft and practiced. When he looks up again, it’s in time to see Kenma’s character fall once more. Kenma sets the game down onto the couch with a sigh. Kuroo can tell she’s closed her eyes.

“Your hair is getting pretty long,” he says, gently petting the top of her head. “Do you want to cut it soon?”

Kenma takes their time responding. Kuroo would think they were asleep if he didn’t know how long it always takes her to fall asleep.

“I dunno,” they say, finally. Their finger traces random patterns on the couch. “Maybe.”

“So, not really,” Kuroo says.

Their finger stops. “I kind of like it…” She turns in place onto her back, looking up at Kuroo as if seeking validation.

Kuroo is more than happy to give it, and he smiles. “I think it looks great.”

“More troublesome to deal with, though,” Kenma adds, softly.

Kuroo pats Kenma’s cheek a couple times. “I’m sure you can handle using a bit more shampoo and conditioner.”

“Eh…” Kenma rolls onto their side again. “I guess I could try leaving it for a while.”

“Have you been thinking about trying new outfits lately?” Kuroo asks. Right now, Kenma’s just in a loose t-shirt and gym shorts. It’s too hot for sweats.

There’s a beat of silence, then Kenma makes a noncommittal noise in the back of her throat.

“What was that?”

“I wouldn’t mind, but I’m lazy,” Kenma says.

“No surprise there,” Kuroo says with a snort, and Kenma jabs him with a sharp elbow (because he’s _right_ ).

“I want a skirt,” they say after a moment.

Kuroo grins. “ _Yes_ , skirt buddies.” He likes maxi skirts, and Kenma borrows his sometimes, but Kuroo knows she likes shorter skirts paired with tights. “Let’s go shopping, come on.”

“Mnnngh…” Kenma half-turns and presses their face into Kuroo’s thigh.

“Aw, come on, what?” Kuroo pokes Kenma’s shoulder.

“…I hate clothes shopping,” she mutters, sulky and childish.

“Well, you can’t get new clothes if you don’t go shopping,” Kuroo points out reasonably.

“I guess,” Kenma says. “Or…you could just buy stuff for me.”

“Wow.”

“I’ll pay you back.”

“Nope,” Kuroo says, taking Kenma by the shoulders and forcing them to sit upright. “We’re going shopping. Let’s go.”

Kenma looks pained. They’re just being overdramatic.

“Fine…”

 

The air conditioning in the clothing store feels so good. Kuroo never wants to leave. They’ll probably be here for a bit anyway—Kuroo might as well be buying stuff for Kenma himself, since Kenma is just trailing after him, eyes glued to her PSP while Kuroo browses the racks of clothing. This maybe means he lost, but he’s going to count it a win anyway since he got Kenma to tag along at all.

Kuroo loves clothes shopping. He loves trying on lots of different outfits even if he doesn’t wear a most of them, not wanting to be misgendered. He’s had enough of that in his life. That’s why he likes being with Kenma, where he can be himself and also try on a cute dress here and there, even if he knows he would never wear it out in public.

He shouldn’t care, he thinks. As long as his closest friends know what’s what, it shouldn’t matter what others think. But being misgendered still really, really sucks. Kenma’s always self-conscious about how others perceive her, and Kuroo is as hyperaware as she is in this regard.

But Kenma’s been getting braver about dressing how they like without regard for what others think. They’ll alternate between wearing the “boy” and “girl” uniform to school depending on how she’s feeling, although at first she would coordinate with Lev to wear the girls’ uniform on only the same days.

Despite how exasperated Kenma acts around Lev, Kuroo really thinks becoming friends with Lev has really helped Kenma out.

“How about this one?” Kuroo asks, holding out a flippy skirt. It’s plain and black but Kuroo doesn’t think Kenma has one yet. “With your cat tights.”

Kenma looks up from her game. They don’t smile, but their eyes widen fractionally in the way that means she likes it. Kuroo gives himself a mental pat on the back.

“It’s cute,” they say.

“Of course it is,” Kuroo replies, just a little smug. He deserves it, okay.

Kenma ducks her head. Kuroo’s familiar enough with them to know it’s an instinctive movement; normally, her hair would fall to cover the sides of her face, but Kuroo insisted that Kenma keep it in a braid so it’ll be wavy tomorrow.

“Can we find a new blouse, too?”

“Definitely.” Kuroo takes Kenma’s arm and pulls them away from the skirts section.

Kenma looks on for a minute as Kuroo begins his search for a top for them to wear, but it’s not long before she returns her attention to her video game. They might be feeling a little embarrassed, or they might just be bored. It’s probably the latter, honestly. Kenma never really feels self-conscious around Kuroo anymore.

“I wanna wear this stuff too,” Kuroo says mournfully, flipping through blouses. They’re so pretty.

“You can,” Kenma says without looking up. After a moment, she adds, “I understand what you mean, though.” She leans a little, subtle, but enough that Kuroo can feel the weight of their arms pressed against each other, comforting.

“I know you do.” Kenma doesn’t think she’s good with people, but she always knows how to make Kuroo feel better. Kuroo couldn’t ask for a better best friend, really.

He sees a lot of “maybe” blouses, but he keeps looking for something foolproof, because Kuroo has an excellent track record of picking out clothes Kenma likes, and he’s not about to break his streak now.

Finally, he settles on something dark blue with a floral pattern.

Kenma nods when she sees it, as Kuroo knew she would, because they both like floral patterns.

Before they go to the fitting room, Kuroo brings Kenma to the dress section and makes them pick something out for him to try on. Kenma pulls her gaze away from her game long enough to sweep their gaze over the dresses and point to a red sundress with a wide black belt.

“That one.”

“Excellent,” Kuroo says, quickly finding his size and ushering them to the fitting room.

Putting on dresses makes Kuroo happy. He rejected “feminine” clothing a lot as a kid, but now he knows the problem wasn’t the clothes, but that he felt so dissociated from being a girl. Actually, he really likes the clothes.

Shame he can’t wear them in public and feel comfortable about it.

“I really like this dress,” he says loudly to Kenma, who’s changing in the adjacent room. “What about you?”

“Can I see you?” Kenma asks instead of answering.

“Sure.”

Kuroo opens his door at steps out at the same time as Kenma, and they look at each other.

Kuroo grins. “You’re so pretty!”

Kenma smiles now, very slightly. “You, too.”

 “I’m tempted to just buy this and wear it around at home.”

“Do it,” Kenma says.

“Okay, you’ve convinced me,” Kuroo says, at once joking and serious. “What about you? I really like it.”

“Mm…I want to wear one of your jackets with it,” Kenma says. “When it gets colder.”

“You have a problem with oversized jackets,” Kuroo says. He lets Kenma borrow his jackets sometimes, but he’s pretty sure at least two or three of them have moved permanently into Kenma’s closet by now.

Kenma just shrugs.

“Okay, you can borrow one of my jackets,” Kuroo relents. As if he would say no. “Do you want to change back and find some more stuff to try on?”

Kenma seems to consider it, which is totally another win for Kuroo, even if they expectantly shake their head in the end.

“This is good enough for today.”

“Alright.”

After they’ve changed back and gone through the checkout, they leave the store to find that the burning summer day is cooling down into a warm evening. The sky is a pretty pinkish-purple, and Kuroo takes a picture of it on his phone. Kenma is probably judging him, but whatever.

“Today was a good day,” he says.

Kenma glances at the bag in her hand, and then up at Kuroo. Silently, they loop their arm loosely through Kuroo’s and smile. “Yeah.”


End file.
